Predators: Katniss Vs Aliens
by CleverforClever
Summary: Sequel to Katniss vs. Predator. Katniss takes on the xenomorphs at the Quarter Quell. But what happens when the bugs get out of hand...? Gee, a corrupt system loses control of the bugs. That's not the plot to Aliens 1-4 and AvP 1-2 Meanwhile, a familiar face finds himself on the Reserve.
1. Chapter 1

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Chapter One: District After District

Katniss Everdeen was sick of Katniss Everdeen. She was all over the papers, all over the television. Her image was thrown across the continent.

Citizens could hardly leave their homes without seeing her face, without watching video of her volunteering for Prim, without the images of her drawing her bow back whilst surrounded by fire! And, of course, there were images of him. Peeta followed her at almost every turn.

The one thing not depicted was his end. The government had claimed that it was 'insensitive' to show it. Katniss wondered how governments could remain so perpetually hypocritical. They were the ones who put him in the arena in the first place!

But Katniss was not angry at Peeta. She was not even angry at President Snow. Katniss Everdeen was angry at Katniss Everdeen. Why had she not shot Peeta with the arrow? Or why not tie them together? He was injured, he should have been her first priority. Prim would have taken care of him.

Katniss was in District Nine right now. She was addressing the crowd, and hating every moment. What do you tell people who friends you just killed? What happens when you mispronounce their names? At what point does it become appropriate to thank President Snow for the opportunity to be a champion?

Soon, the tour would end. She would go home to her place on Victor's Lane and try to forget everything. The crowd was forced to cheer her entrance and exit. If allowed, Katniss would have cheered her exit too. But then she found something on the train that made her wish she was still in front of the crowd.

Herald sat on his chair with sinful comfort. He looked at her like a prize specimen. He licked his lips. She shuddered.

While interrogating Katniss directly after she won, Herald brought a young girl who looked surprisingly like Prim into the room. The girl, who said her name was Rose, was dressed in pure white. She sat in the chair across from the famous tribute and asked her why they were there. Rose was oblivious.

Herald tortured her to death.

It was too gruesome to even think about. Her blood spilled out onto her white dress, staining it a deep red. He whipped her for hours as she begged for mercy, then her mother, then her father, then Katniss.

Finally, she prayed to die.

It broke whatever spirit Katniss had left. What he had done with her next… was too horrible to speak of. Herald had to die a horrible death.

He smiled up at her like they were old friends, "Please! Sit down, eat something, we have much to discuss!"

Herald resembled a poisonous spider to Katniss. The food looked infinitely less appetizing. The imposing man took a jelly cream donut into his mouth and sucked out the juice from within. Katniss felt sick to her stomach.

It was a good thing there was not a bow within reach. She did not even need arrows; she would kill him with the pastries he was sucking dry.

"Do you know why I'm here?"

Katniss shuddered. She heard from other tributes that she was now an owned woman. Now that he 'boyfriend' was gone, she was 'available' something that never bothered her before. The champion took a breath, and balled her fist. She could strangle him as the pastry went down… make it look like an accident…

Herald was going on about how eager he was to sex her when she interrupted him, "I would never, ever touch a thing like you."  
He smiled up at her, "Girl on Fire, you won't have a choice. Not if you can survive the bugs."

His shoulder slightly brushed hers when he passed her. The shudders would not stop all night. She wished deeply she knew where Peeta was, and what he was doing. She definitely needed him now.

Chapter 1

Pain… unbelievable pain, it came from the monsters, and my leg was on fire. There was darkness and beeping lights. Then the pain stopped. In a flash, I was a tornado, whipping through the air, my breath was gone.

So apparently the afterlife is trippy.

My name is Peeta. Hi, how are you? I'm not so great right now.

My life used to be really, really nice. I had my eye on this girl, and sometimes I noticed her, uh, noticing me. It was nice. I had a nice family with awesome friends. My parachute opened, which made me feel infinitely better. I took a deep breath and released it.

I was several hundred feet off the ground. Well, that freaked me out. It was definitely time to get my bearings.

I was wearing my tribute uniform, with some adjustments. All my wounds were healed. Dozens of chutes were open in the skies. The jungle below us was… unsettling.

But it was not nearly as unsettling as the twin moons in orbit.

Hi, my name is Peeta; I do not care how you are doing anymore because I am falling from the sky on an alien world. I will probably be hunted down and killed, which is not much of an improvement to what I was doing last time I was conscious, and I have no idea what I am doing here.

Oh, and this time I don't have a killer girlfriend looking out for me.

I want to go home.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Living the Life

Katniss returned to her home on Victor's Row infinitely less happy. Herald had dropped hints that there was some unrest in Panem, as if that meant anything to her. Katniss could care less about whether or not the country was run by Snow or by a chipmunk wearing overalls. She wanted to feed her family and keep them safe. The rest of the world could run itself.

She found her mentor, Haymitch passed out in his lounge. He had been helpful during her time in the Capital, advising her when she needed advice. When the situation got out of control, he addressed President Snow himself in order to send her aid.

But now her hero was passed out drunk. She dumped cold water on him, "C'mon, let's go watch the quarter quell announcement."  
If she had not been the one to dump the water, she could swear he was crying.

The announcement that champions would be re-entered into the games knocked her off her feet. She ran into an adjacent room and sobbed her eyes out. Katniss was aware that Haymitch was likely drinking as much as he could.

They were both going in. As the only living champions of District Twelve, she would be going in with a drunkard. He would be less help than the bread guy. Right now, the urge to talk to Gale almost overwhelmed her. She took a breath, and thought of what she could do for Peeta.

She would find his home, and swear that they would receive her aid after she won; again.

Chapter 2

I am having a rough day. Well, I landed in the trees above… wherever I am. Yay, I didn't die yet. I am not usually so pessimistic, but I am honest. Not dying in the first thirty seconds of something can be an incredible accomplishment, but there is no reason I ought to have accomplished this.

I mentioned earlier that my uniform was revamped. Well, one of the additions is a seven inch sheath which happens to hold one of the most impressive knives I have ever seen in my life.

I smile and cut myself loose. My feet hit the ground a second before a crate smacks me in the head. I taste dirt. Okay, so maybe Katniss is far more agile than me, but no box is going to take me out.

I am hot, sweaty, hurt, and fifty thousand light years from lost. The frustration in my system builds. So I punch the box in frustration. It snaps open giving me a very nice surprise.

It's not Katniss.

It is a bundle of equipment I can use. Knives, spears, hooks, frying pans, and assorted paints littered the ground. Okay, so today is looking up.

"Hey, kid, get with the program!"

I roll to my right behind a tree. There are three men behind me, all obviously warriors, and all well-armed.

"And what program is that?" It could not hurt to ask. It could to receive their answer though.

"Come with me if you want to live."

I do not have a great deal of options right now, so I followed. They introduced themselves. A woman named Shirt was first. She thought I was handsome. Yay me. Apparently everyone here was selected because they were awesome killers. This was not the life I expected to be living.

But I knew Katniss was alive, and that made it worth living.

A.N. Soooo... if you're lost... here's the deal; it's the plot to the second book, paired with the plot to the original 'Aliens.' Meanwhile, Peeta is in the movie, 'Predators'.

Now, there's a new rule, two reviews equals a new chapter. See, these chapters are two-parters, so I figure it's fair to ask for two reviews for an update. I'm looking at you, Predator-Chick.

If you have questions or comments, hit me up.

-Clever.

By the way, I would really appreciate you guys going to my youtube channel giving my "Katniss vs. Predator" video a big thumbs up. It took me a long time to make that!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Into the Water

Katniss found herself raised onto a platform surrounded by water. She distracted her unusually sharp mind by thinking of Gale, and just how much she wished she could listen to his inane rants against the government. (A.N. Sorry, sorry, it's just… Gale is only there to annoy a reader! Back to the story.)

She looked across the platforms to find Finnick. He was more ready for this than she. He stretched his muscles, and then bent in half to prepare for his swim. His muscles rippled compliantly.

At least he was ready. Katniss prepared herself too.

The starting horn sounded, and the quarter quell began.

Katniss took off. She wondered absently whether or not Finnick was actually on her team. Right now though, he mind was as focused as a razor's edge.

It was time to win this stupid contest and go home. Gale would be there. He loved her, and he was definitely alive. She would return home, and he would be there waiting for her.

The second her toes touched sand, she made a break for the weapons depot. In her peripheral vision, she saw Finnick grab his trident as she grabbed her bow and arrows.

Eventually Haymitch stumbled in, coughing up water. He looked up at the two, "What are we waiting for? Let's get out of here!"

Then Johanna Mason washed up on the beach glaring up at him, "I mean, let's first collect Johanna, then run for our lives!"

Wiress and Bee-Tee stumbled in, but not before Cashmere and Gloss had already armed themselves.  
Haymitch turned grumpily to the team, "Is there anyone else who feels the need to wait out in the open?"

One of the morphlings grabbed a purple berry, squished it, and drew an eyeball onto the drunkard's forehead. Everyone stopped for a second and stared, "Wonderful, now let's move out!"

They headed into the jungle and away from the water.

Chapter 3

I stared at Taylor for a good ten minutes. Shirt, Shoe, Toy, and Candy were all staring at me expectantly.

"I don't understand the question," To be honest, I barely understood anything at all. Wherever I was, it was not on earth. The people here were even more bizarre than those in the Capital. They did not have names, just took the names of things important in their lives.

"What makes you," A finger at my chest, "So important? I've been here ten seasons. Every month, we receive a drop, most from Panem, some from around the world. One or two from places we've never been. But every drop, from only four, to four dozen, is the same. People are dropped in fully armed, and ready for a fight. But here you are, alone. So… what makes you so important?"  
I looked about the make-shift camp. For a place that had received dozens of people for the hunting season, there were only about thirty people around.

Then I saw the skull. The people around me were sensitive to the fact that I had to wrap my mind around what I was seeing. It looked alien… but so familiar. I put a metal mask over it. And I imagined it towering over me.

"I killed one of them," I pointed at the skull.

Three of them stepped back. Toy, a scrawny guy stepped forward. He threw me a canteen, "Time to learn the rules. First timers make water runs."

I rolled my eyes, he continued, "Now, women are excluded from mandatory work outside the camp." Shirt rolled her eyes, "For obvious reasons. There aren't enough to go around. But you take that canteen and you bring it back filled with water."  
I looked at the canteen, then back at Toy, "And where is the water?"  
He took me to a cliff. Below, I could see a river running. Along the banks there were dozens of foot prints. Something snapped my brain to something Katniss had said when we were hunting Buttercup.

She said, "Prey goes to water."  
Obviously, this was a test. And the test was a horrible trap. Those things were everywhere down there. And they probably knew the rule about the water run. I turned to Shirt, "Hey, can you give me a hand with something?" She patted my back.

"Go for it, Baker!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four; Aliens

Katniss ran her options through her mind. Honestly, there were so many people in her party this year, it would be easier to kill them all and then take on the Career tributes. Still, most of her team was pretty nice. And Haymitch had gone out of his way to make sure she understood what was expected of her now that she was a victor.

No, she would not murder them in cold blood, not if there was another way around it. A scream sounded in the death. It was the most horrible, blood-drenching, gut-wrenching, butt-benching thing Katniss had ever heard. Then all was silent.

Katniss decided not to go that direction, ever.

She knew though, that if nothing else went wrong, the Capital, at least, had not let in another alien.

She had enough of aliens.

Chapter 4

I had a plan. I know what you are thinking, 'good for you Peeta, but your plan is usually to sacrifice yourself for a girl.' Yeah, that's true. Still, this was a good plan. I covered myself in mud and floated down the river.

I used to have such a nice life. All it takes is one bad day… See, I'm a simple guy. I love one woman, want to take her home and start a family. But no! I have to swim down a river disguised as a hunk of mud and let out what is supposed to sound like an alien bird call so that killer monsters don't kill me all in an attempt to bring water to a colony of killers.

Katniss, you have certainly complicated my life. I don't blame her, per se, it's just that I don't belong out in the wild, and I never would have been able to finish off Buttercup without her there for inspiration. Okay, maybe I do blame her. It's not like she'd know, she's a billion miles away, likely sitting in the lap of luxury. I, on the other hand, am watching as some two-inch insect stings my arm for its own amusement. Seriously, it is not even accomplishing anything!

Now, you're thinking to yourself, 'if you're already in the river, get some water' but the thing is, the stuff upstream is too muddy. It kept my disguise intact. Now in the clearer water the disguise is wearing thin.

In my time at the bakery, I noticed that we needed water all the time, so I got my dad to invest in a pulley system. I could send a bucket of water from a well directly where it needed to be used in times of heavy usage.

I made my way to the rendezvous point at the cliff wall. My birdcall signal was horrible, but hopefully it sounded like an alien bird. Six large empty jugs, one of which was attached to a rope, splashed down in the water. To my benefit, the splashing would steal attention away from me. The bad news is that I had to go toward the splashing.

I filled the jugs with water; the one with a rope attached first, and tethered two more to that one. Three down, three to go, and there was no sign of monsters.

I was filling the forth when a clicking sound erupted from the bank, too close for comfort. I recognized it from my nightmares. Okay, the time for subtlety was over. Instead of slipping a jug under the water slowly, I dunked them both.

The clicking became noticeably more indignant. My time here was up. I plunged underneath the water, washing off the dirt in my eyes. When I came up, I became very aware of a shimmer on the banks. It was like looking at one of my mother's crystal glasses. It warped the light around it. I recognized the effect now.

It was looking right at me. The rope splashed down, and I tied two on.

"Now what?!" I demanded, "If you come in here, your cloak doesn't work!"

A shimmer later and the cloak dropped. A beep sounded, and my own voice demanded back at me, "Now what?!"

Oh, so this one has a sense of humor. A blade popped out. My voice echoed back at me, "Come- here!" It demanded. The last jug was almost full. I ignored the gut instinct to plunge underneath the surface. I tugged on the rope.

They started pulling it up. I made my wall to the cliff and started climbing. I like to climb. When a person is a little bit taller than what is considered average, then get some advantages. I can reach handholds other kids in the schoolyard could not, so I got to climb taller trees. An ominous clicking sound came from my right.

A shimmer was there, a big one. Well, apparently they were not solitary creatures. It attacked.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five, Going Back

Katniss sat by herself. The fire kept her warm. The flames licked at the logs lewdly. She sighed.

For some reason, thinking about Gale at home only made her bitter. He was safe, happy and warm while she had to stand guard. Did she even want a lover? Not really, because a boyfriend simply added to her stress. Gale may love her, but the thought that he might die too kept her heart from his.

The birds were quiet. Katniss, at home in a forest knew that was a bad sign.

A mist crept in that she could not quite identify. She did not even waste time explaining herself. Her scream woke the rest; they were up in time to watch an animal fall out of a tree.

"Time to run boys and girls," She growled, taking off. Haymitch, still sleepy, asked where he could get a drink.

The group ran as fast as they could. Finnick, who stopped due to Mags, was very surprised to see one of the morphlings vanish into the trees. Something with a shell had grabbed her and took her into the tree tops.

He called after her.

"Finnick, we have bigger problems," Added Haymitch. In front of the group was a group of the monsters responsible for taking one of the humans. Katniss had already launched an arrow into the leader of the pack.

It had bounced off.

"I hate it when that happens!" She growled. Finnick whipped out his trident.

The creatures snarled, "Finnick, no," Said Mags. She lured to monsters away from the group, and into the mist.

"What are those things?" Cried Johanna, but everyone ignored her. The all took off in the opposite direction as the sacrificial tribute.

Katniss knew what had been allowed onto the field now. Two of the three monsters chased Mags, but one remained. While on the run, Katniss pulled an arrow, nocked it, and aimed. There were no eyes, and its mouth was closed.

She remembered hunting a deer with her father. He taught her a special trick. She found what she need. Splitting off from the group, she headed to a pile of rocks. The extra effort would cost her later, but for now, she needed height. The monster pursued.

"Katniss," Her father told her, "Everything alive has weak joints. Put an arrow through a joint, and you've taken down the deer."  
She nocked another arrow. Deciding she could only aim two at a time, she leapt high into the air.

The monster was at her heels, leaping as well. It was too close to run from, about five feet away from the tribute. Its legs hung motionless at the height of it jump. Snarling, it reached for her. Its mouth popped open revealing another mouth.

Whatever fear Katniss felt was drowned by the rightness of the situation. It was just an ugly deer. She took her shot.

Green goo exploded into the air as the arrows made their way out the other side of the creatures head. It cried loudly and stumbled to the ground. Katniss hit her back, knocking out her breath. The creature got back up, snarling angrily. All of Panem was about to watch her die. The blood oozed from the wounds. It sizzled on contact with the ground.

The muted fear came alive in her chest again. It was angry, really, really angry.

She could not even scream. Then the gas caught up with it. Whatever it was, having to enormous holes in its head meant it was not invulnerable to the gas. It yowled, and thrashed its tail, creating a vacuum in the clouds. The hole was starting to collapse on itself, consuming the monster.

Katniss faced her end with the monster when two strong hands gripped her.

"Who will bring me my alcohol if you die, little Mocking jay?" Haymitch half dragged her off, not very strong himself. The gas was starting to affect them. They both started to lose feeling in their limbs. She started to get her wind back as the rest of the company reached the beach. Finnick had tied a rope around the waist of the other male tribute, and pulled them both to safety.

Although wary of the other tributes' help, Katniss could not help but feel the overwhelming sensation that she was back at square one.  
Competing in the Hunger Games was like hitting a brick wall.

Chapter 5

I smacked my stomach against the rock wall stubbornly. The camp was nowhere near within my grasp. To my relief, the monster chasing me was having some difficulty. It made sense the monster be along the cliff wall. It would prevent prey from trying a trick like this. Its great mass would keep it from climbing as quickly as I could.

Unfortunately, it was still climbing. I heard a whirring sound which let me know it was about to fire again. I let out a curse word my mother really did not like, bounced off the wall and swung to the side. The explosion blasted debris down onto my pursuer and put cracks into the wall. The route I was taking was unavailable. Well, it was available, just smoking hot. Some water splashed out and burst into steam on contact. Wow, that was bad news.

Grumpy below me just would not let it go. It stopped shooting, but it kept climbing. I was surprised my hide was worth this much trouble. The rope stopped moving.

"Baker, there's too much weight. We can't lift you," Toy yelled.

Great… well, the river was too far away. And it was shallow. I had to really hunch over in order to keep my disguise working. Grumpy snarled, and reach for a hand hold. I dropped (an old trick of mine, dropping from a rope) and kicked its hand. If I ever get home, I am never going to dangle from a rope for as long as I live. But with my luck, Katniss will probably get me into a situation where I am left dangling.

I put my foot on his hand and used the leverage to push up.

"Uh, better?" I called. The line started moving again. I leapt from the handhold and wrapped my arms around the nearest jug. I then felt a hand on my leg.

That is another thing I hate. I have two legs. They always aim for the one. It popped its blade out of the forearm device. There was no way they could lift all of this at the same time. I peered past the jugs. I was about six body lengths from the top. It was too far to climb alone. And it was definitely too far to climb with someone on my foot. He reared back.

"Hey, Grumpy, have a drink!" I loosed one of the jugs from its tether. I am not great with metric units or English units, but it weighed about as much as I do. It hit the monster with a 'thump' and the two of them fell down the side of the cliff.

I almost laughed. Then again, it occurred to me that my situation was not much better; heading back to the camp, but less one jug. Still, it was worth it. With any luck, Grumpy was dead.

Splashing met my ears. A predator with tusks jumped into the water and pulled his comrade out. I was at the top now, receiving pats of congratulations. Shirt actually hugged me. Toy stopped the celebration with a simple fact, "Where's the third one?"

Everyone stopped laughing, "There are three in a hunting party. Let's get back to our posts."

A scream sounded within the camp. It was too late. I was too late, again.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six; an Uneasy Truce

Katniss hated where she was and what she was doing. She was surrounded by people she was supposed to be killing. And she had no idea where the rest of the tributes were.

"Wait! Wait for us!" The tributes from Districts One through Three called. Katniss thought about killing them now, but obviously there was more going on here.

They puffed to a stop. Cashmere shook her head, "We need to start helping one another."  
This was terribly ironic because when the killing started, she had been one of the first into the fray.

Everyone drew their weapons. Both sides stood still as neither wanted to be the first to start the fight. Gloss spoke up, "Do you have any idea what's out there?"

Katniss glared him down. Bee Tee just let out a sigh, "Tick-tock goes the clock, but it's all broken now. All the watches in the world would unwind with what's here."

Everyone shifted nervously. Having a mental breakdown was unnerving. Still, Wiress playing around in the water, explained what Bee Tee meant, "The clock is broken, isn't it?"

Apparently every tribute but Katniss was aware that they were in a clock where each hour represented a new danger. She absently wondered why none of her so-called teammates had let her know.

"Yeah, there are supposed to be twelve dangers, but right now only a few seem to be working," apparently something the game makers put in was now taking over. Katniss now wondered whether every Hunger Games was essentially flawed; perhaps the Capital just did not know how to run them. She certainly did not remember this many problems maintaining the games. Perhaps the government was always this incompetent; this was simply the first time anyone noticed.

"So what's our course of action then?" Haymitch actually sounded reasonable.

Gloss shifted uncomfortably, "Kill them before they kill us."

Katniss witnessed the reunion of old friends. She looked about the group, wondering how people could be so evil, but so kind at the same time. Wiress smiled blood from the water. Katniss, on instinct, drew two arrows.

Someone from the new group commented, "We didn't do it!"

A tail blade poked up on her chest. Blood oozed from the wound. A monster rose, shrieking from the water. Katniss put two arrows into its mouth, Haymitch Buried a knife into its neck, and Johanna put an axe into its chest.

It shrieked and fell back into the water, blood spurting everywhere.

Gloss was terrified, "It bleeds acid!"

Haymitch turned to Katniss, "If it bleeds…"  
Katniss nodded her head, "I can track it."

She turned around and found her way back to the area where the bug had fallen. It had left a large trail of acidic goo it its wake.  
"I can't believe that thing is still alive," She muttered to herself. It was too bad she was not known for her skill with a bazooka. That would have come in handy about now.

The monster stumbled into a clearing. A dozen of its kind was around the perimeter. They snarled and hissed at one another.

"Mags," Whispered Finnick sadly, spotted his mentor in a cocoon. Katniss felt a pang of hurt. Haymitch, her mentor, was here as well, and the situation could easily be reversed.

Mags was stuck between trees with another tribute. There was something on her face. It fell off, next to another one of its kind. Some other tribute was there as well, in the same kind of cocoon. The tribute was probably the one screaming earlier. There was a gaping hole in his chest. Finnick snuck in and cut his mentor out. He carried her away as Katniss aimed her first arrow. If they were leaving, she wanted to make sure these things knew not to hunt them anymore. But she knew she could kill the monsters themselves, they were too tough, and the blood melted her arrows. Even with two quivers full she could not expect to take out all of the monsters.

Then she spotted the eggs. The creatures were cocooning them as well, keeping them safe. A couple started to open. Katniss felt her blood and fear rise together. She would not be doing this again. She let loose arrow after arrow, destroying the eggs.

The monsters hissed furiously. It was then that the face-hugging creatures started to take off. One was in the trees. Because it was so small, it was practically invisible to her. Crashes in the tree tops put her on edge. If it was one of the bigger creatures, an arrow would not stop it. And the smaller ones were difficult to see.

"Time to get out of here," Katniss proclaimed. They took off with the enemy in pursuit. Johanna at this point discovered the creatures did have a weakness; and axe to the jaw. The axe was disintegrated, but she had a belt full.

Katniss kept running fully aware that they were likely doomed. She pushed the thought from her head and concentrated on the sounds. How many were there? And where were they? Four, there had to be four monsters. Johanna took care of one. Three were left, one was definitely full sized. Katniss spotted a face-hugger up ahead. Bee Tee was headed right for it. She stopped for a second, took a breath, and took her shot. The creature leapt. It caught the tribute by the left side of his face. Katniss had missed the center by inches, but had managed to nail a limb to the tree. Bee Tee screamed. Mags came to him and started to pull the monster away. Finally, Finnick took a knife and sliced off the offending appendages. The blood spurted out damaging all three. But they were all alive. Katniss took a premature breath of relief.

A hiss sound right behind her right ear. A tail wrapped around her head, and long disgusting fingers dug into her skin. Her scream was drowned out…

Chapter 6

"Move Baker!" Toy hollered at me. I stood between his crew and a predator. What am I thinking? I see an injured creature, I react.

"How did it get into our camp? And it's unarmed! Why would he be here at all?" I spread my arms. Haymitch says I have a way with words. I hope he is right, "If nothing else, we kill it with knives, and we don't waste our bullets."  
Okay that they listened to.

They lowered their guns. The creature groaned. He had burn marks from those laser cannons, and slash marks, obviously from a gauntlet.

He raised his arms in surrender.

Even unarmed and without any gear at all, the Predator was intimidating. They tied his compliant arms around his back and put him in a reinforced shed. Toy glared at me. Insubordination was a pretty serious offense out here. Then again, I brought back plenty of water, so they were a bit forgiving. Toy invited me into the shed.

"Why are you here?" I asked. There was no response.

"They don't talk, or if they do, it's in a nasty snarl," He whacked the side of the unmasked beasts head with a club, earning himself a snarl.

I sighed, "So why is it here? These things tend not to allow themselves to be captured."  
Toy was facing away from me. It occurred to me that he might have brought me in here to make a point to the creature; I kill one of my own, so stay in line or I'll kill you too.

But when he turned around, he had a large smile on his face, "You're asking all the right questions. He's unarmed and injured and obviously here on purpose, why?"

I thought of the two in the valley, "He's the third one of the party?"

Toy nodded his head. He motioned me to go on.

"And he's here because he figured we may take him in. He must have been studying the camp…" I was having trouble putting it all together.

"If he's been studying us, he knows about the shed, and it just so happens, this shed is predator-proof. They can't see into it, not with any of their electro-magnetic spectrum views, and it can withstand a plasma blast too!"

We looked at one another wondering why a wolf would want to hide with the sheep. The only answer was that it was the safest place; for the time being. Of course, if this being was being hunted that meant one thing; that safety would evaporate in moments.

"Well, Scooter, it looks like we're going to have a temporary alliance now aren't we?" Toy patted the beast, earning himself a growl, "Let's get out of here."


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven: Running Away

Katniss pulled the obscenity attached to her. It had not covered her face completely, but she was being strangled. One of the other tributes tried to saw through it with a knife, spurting acid everywhere. Katniss pulled as hard as she could away. The struggle put the hunter onto her back. Taking a breath, she Bit off the end of one of the arrows. She would slice the thing open and die rather than let it do whatever it was doing.

It finally pulled her close. The sensation was horrible. There was no sight or sound. She became aware of a muted presence over her. It was a bug. But it was not hurting her. It left. The air was gone now. Something gross was trying to force its way down her throat. She shoved the arrow tip inside the other creature, deciding to give it a taste of its own medicine. A bit of acid must have been activated because the smell filled her nostrils. She forced it as far in as she could. It was a good thing that the bugs had killed everything else on the island because she could have been anywhere.

Then numbness spread into her toes. She knew where she was now. The fog was wrapping itself around her knees now. She plunged her face into it, using the chemical to weaken the monster on her face. After being sliced repeatedly it started to loosen its hold. A spiny tail picked her up and placed her into a tree.

Apparently the bug had saved her for some bug reason. She stumbled from tree to tree making her way to the beach. Finally, she passed out.

She dreamt that her heart was being ripped out of her chest by her child… with Peeta.

Chapter 7

We went storming out of the camp like banshees. I cannot quite describe just how bad our acting was, but I figured that the monsters watching would buy it. Only a handful of people were left inside. I parked myself on a hill watching the shed. Nothing happened. Toy dropped down beside me. He was wielding a rifle with a scope. I jumped when he plopped down beside me. He watched as one of the guards was lifted into the air. Toy let out a sigh.

Enough was enough for me. I was going home. I ran from my spot screaming. I kept my eyes on the blur, determined that no one would die today. The shimmer made it easier by opening fire on me. Scooter abandoned his spot in the shed and sacked the monster. It was Grumpy and he looked angry. Next time I get sent into the Hunger Games (Though obviously I won't be going in again, it's against the rules) I am determined to have an awesome weapon; like… a bazooka! And attached to that bazooka is a chainsaw… and a flamethrower…. and a machine gun. Also, I could really go for some cupcakes right now. The gruel at the camp was horrible.

I pulled the knives from my pockets and dug deep for strength. I was big. Manual labor chiseled me into a strong boy. It was time to use that strength to defend others.

The two monsters were going rounds against one another. I threw one knife to Scooter and slid to a stop in front of Grumpy.

"You should have left me on earth!" I buried it into his leg. Scooter used my knife to slice off his head. Well that was eventful.

We nodded at one another. An understanding was reached. We would work together to accomplish our goals. I had only one, really; get home to Katniss. I just hoped that there was enough of me to get back.

A.N. Don't forget to read and review! Where do you think this is going? Is Peeta just getting himself killed?


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight; By the Dying Light

Katniss felt the fading sun. That was a good sign. Whatever had happened to her had happened. Now it was time to move on. She coughed something disgusting out of her throat. It looked like it was alive. She did not want to think about what that meant. The gas must have affected the face hugger so negatively that whatever it was trying to do failed.

Haymitch gave her a hug, very out of character for him, "Come, little bird, we have much to accomplish."

He led her to the beach where Bee Tee was going on about his plan, "It's time that Haymitch, Mags, and myself made our exit. Finnick, you know what to do?"

He nodded his head, though he looked very afraid of what that meant. Apparently, they were all in on the plan. Katniss drew her bow, "And what's the plan?"

"We have to kill her."

Katniss jumped back.

"Not you, Katniss, her!"

A snarling sound came from behind her, much louder than the ones she had heard before. The queen alien was here to reclaim what it considered her own. It let out a mind blowing screech. Katniss covered her ears.

Chapter 8

The moons were rising on the Reserve. I shared a meal with Shirt, Shoe, Candy, Toy, and Scooter. It was pretty weird. I drew circles in the dirt and managed to communicate, I think, that we were on one planet, and that I wanted to go back home.

Scooter would not even look at me. It must be an honor thing.

The stares I was getting from around the campfire worried me.

"What's wrong, guys?" I asked worriedly.

Toy took the blade of wheat from his mouth and threw it onto the fire, "Why would you ever want to go back to that hole?"

The others nodded.

"But it is home!" I insisted.

They shook their head. Shoe, an elderly man, took the lead, "That's not home, that's a prison. I lived north of Panem, and let me tell you, we have things even worse. Candy here used to live in England. They had this big hubbub with some guy named 'V' and now the country is in ruins. The revolt, as always, turned on itself and now everybody is dead."

He shook his head, "On earth, there's so much evil, and so much noise and complaining. People questioning right and wrong, but here, here we actually have peace. Our founders tried to escape, but first they set up a system wherein everybody was taken care off."

The others nodded their heads. Candy, a beautiful but rebellious teenaged blond took it from there, "There are rules. Everyone is a killer, but we don't kill each other. We are no longer sport."

Apparently they had a bit of speech memorized. Everyone took the time to explain why things were the way they were, and to leave it at that. For a while, I listened, believing them. But then I realized something; I wanted Katniss here. As horrible as it would be to put her in such horrible danger, I could not, would not call a place home without her by my side.

As much as she could help me through this, the fact is I wanted her. I had to get back to her. Now if there was something of vast importance to the predators I could trade them. I glared at Scooter across from me, and found my ticket back. Maybe he could fly me home.

If it came down to it, maybe they would exchange passage home for a rouge predator. I try not to betray my friends, but I would hardly count this guy as my friend.


	9. Chapter 9

A.N. Author's notes at the beginning? (Gasp!) Anywho... here's the deal; there's been some confusion here. First things first; I will not incorporate YOUR story ideas. Why not? Because it's wrong. I don't think I could take your ideas even if you gace them to me. It's just the way I am. I respect intellectual property rights. By the way, I don't own Hunger Games or Predatorss, or Aliens. Second, someone on here thinks she know where this story is going. Really? Well, let me know...

Chapter Nine: Surprise

Katniss backed up to the water's edge, "What was that?"

"That, Kat, was a queen," Answered Bee Tee. He was fiddling with some wires, "And we need to lure her to the force-field. Only there will we have enough fire power to kill her."

Katniss realized that they were working as a team in order to beat the Capital. It almost gave her hope. Then she realized just how big a monster this thing had to be, "So what am I supposed to do?"

Bee Tee handed her his wire, "Here, attach this to the lightning tree. Then run for your life."

She nodded her head. Johanna was with her, supposedly as a bodyguard. The two walked in silence for quite some time. Katniss stumbled. When her companion turned around, she found an arrow pointing at her chest.

"They said you were good Katniss," She started.

Katniss tried to finish, "But they didn't say I was that good?"

The District Seven tribute finished, "But that didn't say you were great. I'm your ally, stupid."

Katniss flinched, "I don't have to be great in order to hit you with this arrow. And we both know how this game has to end."

Johanna flinched, her eyes went wild. She ducked. Katniss, believing that it was a trick, tried to back away from the other tribute. She turned to find Brutus and Gloss attacking.

In between the two was Mags, clutching her chest. Katniss could not believe her eyes. Mags was probably having a heart attack. She must have followed them, or tried to stop Brutus and Gloss. She doubled over and started screaming. Gloss leaned in a little too close and received a face full of blood. Something exploded from her chest.

Katniss gasped in horror. This was beyond terrible. Gloss, screaming her lungs out, started hacking the thing.

Johanna tackled Katniss from behind and pulled her along. She took the metal wire and embedded it into the tree. The squishing sound from Gloss stopped. Lightning filled the sky.

Katniss blacked out.

Chapter 9

I wandered to the Predator camp. Apparently the colony kept track of popular landing sites. If I was lucky, they would let me jump onto the ship and escape this abyss. Given my luck for the past two months, it was more likely that my skull would adorn a tribal chief's coffee table.

"He just sort of wandered into our camp, so I thought I'd pick it up for the ball and chain," They would say. I hated my imagination.

I did not see any, which could mean anything. These things could pretty much turn invisible. I covered myself in mud and pressed against a rock. They may be able to see me, but there is no reason I had to take any chances.

The camp was interesting to spy on. There were symbols carved everywhere. One rock was covered in them. At the very bottom of the lines was a symbol that looked like the one on Scooter. It occurred to me that we did not know why the other two were hunting Scooter. Our newest ally could be a criminal of some kind. Or maybe they just want to have fun.

I spotted Toy and Scooter move into position. They did not seem to go with the plan for returning home. That was fine with me. I could go home alone. I briefly thought of what they said, about this being better. I agree. Here, the killers are out in the open. There are no politicians, no lies, just survival. However, Katniss is not here, and honestly, I do not want my children to go through the Hunger Games, but I also do not want them to grow up on a game preserve.

Home is where your bread is. I never understood the point of that phrase until now. Dad said it trying to teach me something; bread takes time and effort, but it comes. Here, only death awaits me.

I want a home, and I want a family. Does that make me greedy? Toy is the leader. His plan is to kill the final predator and use the technology on the ship his. I stay out of sight.

The odd pair walked into the clearing. Scooter hollered something unintelligible. My hopes that he was requesting a ride home for me were quickly dashed when a plasma blast rocked the field. Toy scrambled behind some important-looking rock. Scooter yelled something in the alien language. It sounded like an insult, honestly. Another blast, and this time I can almost see the predator. With it distracted, I might be able to take it down…

But then what? Live my life watching men make water runs? It would be the Hunger Games all over. No, I will stay confident in my choices. I know what I want. And Katniss, if she is okay, Katniss will welcome me back.

I love her.

I know that's stupid, and arbitrary, and has nothing to do with what is happening on the field, but I think someone should know.

The scuffle on the field was getting more heated. Scooter had gotten his hands on a plasma caster and was lighting up the area.

The final predator came into view. He was tiny, barely bigger than Thresh.

Tiny growled something. Scooter laughed and kicked one of the trophies. Tiny was really upset about that. It appeared as though they were honoring a predator, and by the materials they had, it looked like the one I had killed.

Well… I guess that my luck was truly that bad. My ride out of here had brought me here as tribute to the monster I had killed.

I really hoped Katniss was doing better.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten: Final Fight

Katniss did not want to get up. Her friends were dead. Her enemies were probably dead too. But something inside her told her to get up. If she did not get up, Prim would be in trouble.

Prim; the thought of the little girl spurred the tribute to her feet. If those things got out, her little sister did not stand a chance.

Katniss stumbled through the area. The screen above the field crackled to life. It had only been a day or two, but seeing it up there sent relief down the tribute's spine. If somebody was in the airship that meant that a _human_ monster was in control.

Maybe they were announcing a new rule in which she could go home. Or maybe they were announcing that no champion had been able to beat this 'queen' thing and that she was royally screwed.

The screen was black, but there appeared to be fires in the back. The sound of crying met her ears.  
"Hello, is anyone out there?" Asked a scared voice, "I swear, we were just picking up a dead tribute, and…. This, this _thing_ popped out of the body. We didn't know what it was, or what it could do. Now everybody's dead. Please, please someone help us!"

Katniss resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Of course the Capital would screw up another game. She wondered how a government that had been running this for years when there were killer aliens running around.

"The airship has crashed, and… you need my help to put the shield down!"

That statement made Katniss reconsider her options. Obviously, if the bugs came from humans, the more humans they killed the more that could escape. Also, if they lowered the shield, then the bugs could get out too. It was better to keep them confined on the island. There was no choice; she had to go to the airship. Her time on the last one told her that it kept itself in hover mode above the Cornucopia, and that was probably where it was.

She made her way back to the beach. It was time to kill some bugs. On the way, she met with an exhausted Johanna. The two were too tired and depressed to take shots at one another.

They found the airship, but there were monsters on the outside. The girls considered their options, "We could trick them into going into the gas."  
"How do we do that?"

"Fine, maybe we blow the airship up!"

"How do we do that?" The question kept cropping up in their conversation.  
"Is that all you know right now?"  
"No, I am also aware of how perpetually boned we are."

"Oh great, here comes Haymitch."

Admittedly, the arrival of her teacher did inspire her. Maybe Bee Tee could rig up a machine to kill the monsters. Haymitch banged a couple of swords together, "Hey, stupid! Look this way!"

The monsters spotted him and started to lope towards him. He splashed out into the water, and they followed.  
"That fool is going to get himself killed," Johanna grumbled. Then an explosion sounded.

"They rigged the mines again!" Katniss exclaimed. Once a good strategy had been found, others were bound to use it. Bee Tee had no doubt rigged it up to kill them.

"C'mon, we have to get to the airship," Johanna grabbed her junior and ran full-out to the ship.

"Do you think they killed the queen?"  
The ship bent upwards as a massive monster smashed its way through. In its hands was the worker who sent out the distress signal.

"No!" He screamed before being killed in one of the bloodiest ways possible. Katniss saw Johanna flinch.

Haymitch was gone. It was up to the two of them.

"Alright, here's the plan. We blow the ship up," Katniss figured what she needed, "Go get the other end of the wire and bring it here."

Johanna nodded and took off. Katniss stood up and ran to the ship. She nocked an arrow and let it loose into the mouth of one of the creatures. That got its attention. She let another one loose. Its left leg was injured.

Katniss leapt into the gaping hole. She grabbed a large wire and stuck it into the monster. It howled in pain, drawing the attention of its queen. When it collapsed, Katniss smashed it apart at the beam supporting the mother monster. The acid blood disintegrated the beam.

The queen fell into the ship. The other monsters followed. Katniss hit the 'off' button for the shield. It also controlled the clock for the island. The tribute moved up the time from ten minutes to two. She then ran for the claw. She remembered the route from the last time she spent in the airship. It seemed a bad sign to her that she was in an airship for dead tributes.

Katniss heard snarling behind her. That spurred her on. Somewhere outside of the ship Johanna was connecting the fuel tanks to the lightning tree. The plan originally was to somehow lock the aliens on the ship. Now there was no time to try and lock them in a room.

The queen was ripping through the ship. Katniss found holes at the other side beyond the edge, and leapt. She felt her heart pounding as the clock ticked to zero. She leapt from the water to the land, just out of reach of the explosion. The aliens fried. Another lightning bolt, and another one fired, then all was silent. Katniss felt her senses come alive. They all had to be dead, they just had to be.

The entire island was malfunctioning. Suddenly everything went very, very quiet. Johanna stood on a rock hundreds of yards away calling for her ally. Within minutes of the shield dropping, airships came in and destroyed the island. Katniss hid in the platform inside the tube.

She watched as they annihilated everything.

Chapter 10

Scooter and Tiny went at it. Tiny never stood a chance. The second he deactivated his gun, Toy shot him. Not a lot of honor here. The two wrestled a few minutes. Then Tiny took the castor and shot his fellow alien, or rather non-human being, with a net.

Toy was overwhelmed, "Right, now let's get this equipment back to camp."

He spit out blood with his whoop because Scooter put a blade through him. I figured out why they wanted his head. Somehow he got put with two guys who knew he would turn on his allies, and they tried to kill him. And we helped him. You know what I hate about the games? It's not the killing, people die all the time. And children, well, kids are naturally vicious. I hate the alliance system, "Hey, let's work together so I only have to kill you later."

It's stupid. There should be teams. Well, I suppose that defeats the purpose of breaking the spirit of the people. Oh well, at least I know what I have to do now.

I slash Scooter across his back. Yeah, I can sneak up on him. He counters with a wallop. I take the hit. It sends me into a weapons rack. No laser toys, but nice knives. I pick a couple up, "I love these knives. I should take some home."

I look around at the trophies, "And I'm taking your skull too." My hand illustrates my point. He growls.

We re-engage. He tries to use the blaster, but I throw a knife, knocking it. My first attack had damaged it, so I was not too worried. Besides, I had already beaten him with my brain; he just did not know it yet. He did not understand teamwork. Toy unloaded his pistol into Scooter's back. I drop-kicked the beast.

He stumbled. I punched him in the face three times before he put me in a bear-hug. The shock made me drop my knife. I put my hands around his neck.

Toy spoke up, about home. Apparently the freedom on the Reserve was insufficient for him. He wanted to be buried on earth, in a place called Land of the Ire. I nodded my head.

Now, I will share some of my philosophy with you. There's no better time than when you are in death-locked combat with an alien.

The problem with people like Scooter is that they are stupid. Oh, they think they're so smart, plotting and scheming. Take Katniss for example. She spent so much of her time plotting against my supposed coming betrayal; she was not prepared to fight the monster on earth. These horrible betrayers don't factor in honor and teamwork because they don't believe in it. And when a three hundred fifty pound monster is crushing your spine, it makes sense to free the other monster.

See, when I threw that first knife, I did so because I knew it would land close enough for Tiny to use. And by now he has no doubt cut himself free, picked up the other knife I dropped.

And…. *thunk* he just embedded both of them into the back of Scooter. My lungs ached. I collapsed.

Tiny collapsed beside me, letting out a war-rage bellow. It's loud and annoying, but at this point I feel like it's necessary.

I bump him indicating Scooter, "Another trophy, right?"

He stares, and then nods. He presses a button of my voice recording, "Take some home."

It sounds creepy, but it doesn't bother me much, "I want to go home."  
I point to Toy, and the stars. Tiny nods his head. He presses a button, I see a flash of light, and I'm gone.

A.N. now, you guys haven't given me two reviews for a chapter HOWEVER! I guess I ought to update.

I'm writing twice as hard here. Let me know what's up.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven: Complicated Victories

After the ships left, Katniss swam ashore and decided to try and live where she was. It was not a horrible looking area if she did not have to look at the smelted remains of the island.

Johanna had been airlifted out, as had Haymitch. Officially, Johanna had won, and Haymitch was dead. Allegedly they were sending him home for a funeral. It was clear the bugs were destroyed. They had two nests, and both of them had ended up destroyed. The first by the lightning bolt the allies had rigged, the second by lightning and explosion.

Katniss sifted through the ashes of the ship. The equipment was fried. She was about to give up when the only other living creature on the island showed up.

"Bee Tee," She screamed at the top of her lungs. He received her hug agreeably.

"Katniss, we have our own ride out of here!" He proclaimed proudly.

Twenty minutes later they were in the air. Katniss was a bit surprised to see their escape went so simply. She demanded he explain.

Bee Tee complied, "This all started decades ago in a toy shop. I met two brothers, one named Harold and the other Tom. Well, as time passed, both of the boys showed excellent aptitude. Harold was studying biology, and Tom mythology. They came to the bizarre conclusion that life on earth was created and perpetuated by an alien civilization."

Katniss raised an eyebrow but let it drop. Although the predator appeared to be other-worldly she had not actually seen the monster come down from space. The same was true of the bugs.

Bee Tee continued, "The eventually figured that there were remnants of an ancient pyramid somewhere underneath the Capital."  
Katniss felt her head get dizzy. The Capital was huge! One pyramid under all of that was insane!  
"According to them the mega-city swallowed the remnants of a small city called 'Gunnison', which, according to them, was the sight of some significant battle. According to what they managed to unearth… well, let's just skip that part for now. Truth is Tom disappeared. He and all his materials vanished from the planet. And Herald went mad, sure that this contained the proof he was looking for."

He shook his head. Katniss felt her mind spin, "So… the games…"  
"Are a lure," Bee Tee went on, "Apparently the government is interested in leaving planet earth. For that, you need ships."

She shook her head.

"Well, word on the street is that Herald is… well, an evil man. I have not seen him in years. I'm saddened to hear of his slide into madness." He sighed, "This airship is owned by District 13. They negotiated their own peace treaty, but, as part of it, they have to remain silent. They cannot contact anyone. If someone shows up on their doorstep they have the rights to take them in. Right now, we are outside of the Capital's territory. I tell you this because I want you to understand that monsters have been in this universe longer than President Snow. Don't lose sight of the fact that he did make you a survivor, you needed to be that all on your own."

Katniss nodded, too tired to talk. Well, almost too tired, "Now what?"  
"Now we're dead. We go to District 13 and live there," Bee Tee seemed relaxed as he answered her.

Katniss shook her head, "Not without my family. Just put me outside of my district. I'll find my way back."

They let her out in a nearby field. Katniss knew her way back, though she could navigate by the stars. It took her hours to return. Unfortunately, she found a new electric fence in the way. The power was actually on. She shook her head exasperated. The fence was there to keep out wild animals.

She felt like a wild animal. After walking around for another hour, she found a place she could leap over. In that time she retrieved one of her bows. Prim was no doubt playing with Lady. Their mother likely believed her daughter dead.

It would be wonderful to see them again.

Of course, they were at Victor's Row. Katniss landed poorly on her ankle. It was just another injury to add to her tab. She limped to her doorstep. To her surprise, her mother was busy, cooking, tidying. It was odd to think that this woman, who was so devastated by her husband's death, was now working at full tilt.

Prim was nowhere to be seen. Katniss thought for a moment, and then knew where her sister was. Taking her key, the victor opened the door, and let herself in. The family had to pack quickly, and leave.

She found her mother in deep concentration trying to mend one of her daughter's clothes. It used to be her father's coat, but Prim would never wear it. It must be her way of keeping Katniss around, by giving Prim something her sister used to have.

Katniss lacked the finesse for a dramatic reveal. She simply barked, "Go pack!" And then she went to her room. Her mother obeyed immediately. Good for her.

Katniss found her sister in the corner of her room. Prim had been crying. Her face was red, and surprising both disgusting and simultaneously beautiful. The older sister woke her younger sister with a kiss to the forehead, "Prim, I love you, but it's time to get up. We have to leave."  
Prim's eyes opened very, very slowly, "Is this a dream?"  
Katniss considered the question. It sounded like a dream. She was going to take her family to a new home where they would be free, "I don't see how that matters Duck-tail."  
Smiling, Prim got up and shook her head. Fully awake now, she realized that her sister was there, and very much alive, "Katniss!" She hollered, leaping into her sibling's arms. Though there was not a great deal of time, Katniss returned the hug, letting the warm feeling of safety and family togetherness sink in. Then she said it was time to pack. She told her mother to meet her by the fence. She was going to get Gale, and then they were leaving.

Katniss found her friend at the house next door. He was preparing for a funeral. Katniss had forgotten about Haymitch, her mentor. She wondered if she would get a funeral. That would be quite funny; the entire village mourning her death, Gale, no doubt hardened by his experience. Meanwhile she and her family would be on their way to freedom.

Gale was overjoyed to see her. He quickly picked up on the hint that she was all-business. He went home to pack and get his family on the move. They would hopefully get to District 13 in a couple of days.

"Katniss, are you coming?" He asked impatiently. She shook her head.

"No, I have to pay my respects. I owe him that much," She claimed. Peeta would have understood. And he would have wanted to be here.

Katniss took a breath then entered the parlor. It stank, even with all the flowers the smell of alcohol and dirty living permeated the place. She felt deep revulsion. The games were a horrible act, but he could have made life easier for the district by employing others. Instead, he spent his money on alcohol and medicine. Nobody profited from this. Still, he was there when it counted.

The Capital had already delivered the body. She was a bit surprised at this. Typically, some bean counter would take some time to make sure everything was on the up and up before shipping a body home. They would do an autopsy, confirming the manner of death as well as a variety of other sanitary duties to ensure that the body was not carrying any deadly contagions.

Katniss approached the coffin. It was of good design, certainly better made than any other she had seen in the district. Now she had to say goodbye. It idly passed her mind that she had not seen her mentor _die_.

Katniss pressed her fingers to her lips to bid him farewell when something stopped her cold.

Haymitch had been mutilated. Specifically, his chest had been ripped open from the inside out.

Her insides felt like ice as she put two and two together. This was an extermination of the people of the district. The reason for the new fence, the reason for shipping the body home, it was all a cover-up. And the only thing she could do is isolate the monster.

Katniss realized her duty was to her family. She ran across town, in full sight of dozens of people, burst into city hall, ran to the elevator, and found her way to the emergency office. The woman there, whose name was Carrey, had been in charge of retrieving the body of her father. Katniss demanded she hit the air raid alarm.  
Gale would know. If any of his family was infested, they would deal with that when the time came. Right now, everyone, especially the armed Peacekeepers, needed to be underground. The monsters would follow them and get trapped.

Katniss tried to pretend she was just trying to survive, and not think about the fact that she had more or less doomed her people to dying a horrible death in the dark.

The Everdeen family was read to go. Gale had managed to get a secret hole burrowed under the ground beneath the fence while she had been away. He shot his friend a questioning look when she showed up, but otherwise kept his mouth shut. Once they were on the other side, Katniss collapsed the tunnel. She pretended not to cry.

The group made their way to District 13. (A.N. As far as I can tell, where it is located is debatable. I have decided that it is north of 12. Deal with it, okay?)

The mocking-jays let out a screech of alarm after half an hour of walking. Within minutes, a fleet of airships destroyed District 12.

All Katniss could think about was that it would be easier if Peeta were there.

Chapter 11

I woke up in a strange place.

Well that was bad news. Last time that happened I woke up on an alien game preserve. It occurred to me that Tiny may have considered my return to earth 'dishonorable' and decided to drop me off on a less-friendly planet. That would just be my luck, I survive the games only to land on an alien gaming preserve, only to be put somewhere even less friendly. Maybe next I would be eating dinner with President Snow.

I took a look at my surroundings, clearly underground. I was in a stone room. There were decorations on the walls; spears, shields, and carvings that resembled people in agony. So, not a great place to wake up.

It was dark, firelight illuminated the area. The ambient light made the place look bluish black. I wandered around a bit. As it turns out, Tiny left me in a pyramid underground. It looked like it was a battle ground. Above me, I heard voices trickle down. I recognized the accents, and realized I was safer on the Reserve.

I, Peeta Mellark, am underneath the Capital.

Fin.

A.N. Well, I hope you enjoyed reading this. I had some trouble finishing this. How on earth can Katniss take out an alien queen? How does Peeta get back to earth? I knew all along that Haymitch would have a chest-buster. Still, this was really hard. I liked the second book, and I'm thinking about finishing the trilogy. If you want a third installment, (Katniss: Aliens vs. Predator) Read and review.


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